AJ, could you answer a few questions please?

1) I am very interested in how the two hard drives are fitted.
2) How will any future upgrades from Ketron be applied?
3) If an owner of Audya outside of the USA installs your upgrade are you going to take over support from the local distributor? (I know in the UK we currently do not support unofficial upgrades).
4) or...Has Ketron (and I mean Ketron the company, not you) agreed to honour the warranty of 'under warranty' instruments that have your upgrade applied? If so how will local distributors be reimbursed to cover the additional support costs?

TWD,

I can see where you are coming from but isn't CMC the USA sole importer of Ketron and if they give AJ the green light where does that leave Ketron customers if things go wrong. Perhaps CMC don't know and don't care once they have sold the product, I know they weren't intrested in SKUDES problems he had with his Audya maybe there's your answer, it won't happen in the UK, because you are in control, that's good. I would not want to start messing about with the Audya wiring or you will have scrap on your hands. Even Yamaha don't like you loading none Yamaha UVN files on the KB, they are not supported, I know someone who loaded a None supported UVN on their T4 and it messed up the memory card and could not be used, so buyer beware, that's all I am saying. What the hell is wrong with the sounds the Audya comes with. If your car doesn't go fast enough for you, you can allways have it re-chipped, why the hell don't the car manufactures re-chipped it on the production line, I know why, do you???

Tony

Tony

For the older AUDYA units which do not have the RAM custom 'User friendly' jack (as I believe Tonewheeldude had initially responded to - and please correct me Tonewheeldude if I am wrong), KETRON has put out a schematic diagram on the optional circuit that needs to be soldered onto your Soundboard to achieve this. This is why earlier on, I was refering to the fact that you would have to send in your Sound card in order to get the full AJAMSONIC package installed. This isn't true anymore ... you simply need to get the RAM and data on USB (we will need to have your RAM to make a slight modification on just that unit before you install it. If purchase from us, the modification would already have been made). This modification allows all data to be loaded in and prevents copying!

You could also simply purchase/swap out your older sound card for a new one (not sure what your dealer is willing to do for you when it comes to these options, but it depends entirely on them).



Tonewheeldude.
Answers to your questions:-

1. 1) I am very interested in how the two hard drives are fitted.
>>>AJ:- The 'optional hard dive' utilizes the USB2 jack (internally via a USB connector). Ofcouse this option disables the usage of the 2nd USB jack by the user, but our research has shown that very few customers use both USB jacks together anyway - especially with the increasing size and lowering cost of the USB pen drives. So you are left with 1 USB jack (the master one) and 2 Hard Drives.

2. How will any future upgrades from Ketron be applied?
>>>AJ:- All future upgrades from Ketron can still be applied and will not interfer with the AJAMSONIC package. The specific AJAMONIC SYSTEM and lock files reside in the SYSTEM folder and once you've installed any new/future release from KETRON, simply going into this folder and loading the files once prevents any interference whatsoever. We will also update these files in coordination with whatever release KETRON put out (our team worked in part with some of the Engineers in Italy to build this so as to avoide ANY interference).

3. If an owner of Audya outside of the USA installs your upgrade are you going to take over support from the local distributor? (I know in the UK we currently do not support unofficial upgrades).
>>>AJ:- Yes, I will. We currently support and help users of KETRON instruments from Spain, Italy (yes, Italy believe it or not), UK, France, USA ... etc who have just the standard Ketron AUDYA (or any Ketron product), let alone who will have AJAMSONIC - some of such users are on this very forum as well and can attest to this. I have taken and made many long distance calls, shipped parts or spent hours on email writting semi-manuals to customers both here, in the US and overseas, so yes, I will continue to do such even with the introduction of AJAMSONIC to thier and other's keyboarsds. The DVD manual I am about to release should hopefully 'tone these down' as 90% of the issues they are/were experiening are/were - user errors! There has been one case (which accounts for less than 0.5% of cases) where I couldn't help overseas but this was due to a reason we can discus off-line (dealer in question in that country had a part to play).

Initially, I was going to limit myself to just the USA, but I realize that it's more than just the business for me anyway - it's become like ... family and something I like doing. As an Engineer by training and Musician by 'Nature', this was the perfect way to blend both worlds of mine. I do not get paid/support in anyway from the USA to support customers outside the USA (nor those in the USA outside of Mondays and Tuesdays). I simply choose to do so as it feels just right. Tomorrow, I might get support from someone else too in another special way - and the blessings are passed on. If we all just shared our talents where applicable, the world would be a different place (in my humble opinion that is)!

4. 4) or...Has Ketron (and I mean Ketron the company, not you) agreed to honour the warranty of 'under warranty' instruments that have your upgrade applied? If so how will local distributors be reimbursed to cover the additional support costs?
>>>AJ:- You asked I answer 3 or 4? I answered 3.

Hope this helps.

Thanks,

AJ,

Thanks for the speedy reply, this is my opinion and mine only, any mods done to an Audya would be best carried out by Ketron and only Ketron, soldering on surface mount PCB gives me the creeps, replacing a whole PCB I don't know what Ketron would charge but in won't be cheap the costs is clocking up and no one knows yet what your kit costs. You know AJ the bit about the car being re-chipped was a point I was making, why don't you work directly with or for Ketron and get them to add in your bits, and get the royalties, just a thought. BTW where is there a USB2 on an Audya ?

Regards

Tony

ok thanks for replying. I had a feeling you would use the second USB port for hard drive. Its a good idea and allows for in keyboard backup of data. But your users should be aware that it is only suitable for data and of no use in case of primary hard disk faliure. (unless you have made a quick access panel that allows for fast swapping of the drives)

points 3 and 4, thats fine; you only needed answer one of the as question 4 is not so important after answering question 3. Again as long as the customers know that you are taking responsibility for the warranty and support thats fine. In the UK we tend to look after customers long after the warranty period, but obviously will have to pass that over to you if they apply your product.

What then would that leave us to buy, if we had the old board ?

Bernie

Its the 7th December now

And AJ has us all wayting for Youtube videos from yesterdays Demo.

Bernie9 - The newer Sound board with the RAM already installed or for you in the USA, the cheapest option would be to send us your keyboard or send us your old sound board and we do the soldering for you - unless your are comfortable doing so yourself.

Just to clarify - this sound board upgrade applies to ..
1. Anyone with the older unit who wants to upgrade/install Ketron's Optional RAM
2. Anyone with the older unit who wants to upgrade to the AJAMSONIC Premium/Delux packages.


Hope this helps

Lots of activity from Ketron on this subject right now...quick responses. What about the handling of problems and respo0nsde rates from them in the recent past?

Love the equipment, but I'd expect "business as usual".

Do a search of posts of problems and responses (or lack, thereof). Pretty alarming.


Russ

AJ,

haw i can know what kinde of Sound Board I haw in my Audya?
Dont know if is old or new...